Politics and Me

Catalyst...

I had never been politically active. But in 2004, I discovered that my congresswoman had signed on as a co-sponsor of some hateful legislation. So, I registered to vote. I needed to do what I could to get right-wing, bigotted zealots out of office. I voted against George Bush and against my representative.

Affiliations...

I am not a member of any party. I vote for the candidate that I believe will represent my views best. I cannot help that my views just happen to be the antithesis of the Republican agenda. I am not saying that all Republicans are bad or evil, just the most vocal and influential ones. There are plenty of Democrats that could not earn my vote as well. Unfortunately, my views have not been the views of the majority in my area.

Issues...

Same-Sex Marriage

I consider this to be one of the biggest problems in our country. People are being treated unfairly and inequitably based solely on the person they love. Two people of the same gender that want to get married cannot. Two people of opposite genders that simply live together are afforded certain protections. This is simply wrong. -- Thankfully, the US Supreme Court has ruled on this. We'll have to see how the politicians try to override the law.

Patriot Act

This is anything but patriotic. I consider this a governmental overturn of the Bill of Rights, forced through Congress by right-wing fear mongers hungry for the power to "purify" the country.

Separation of Church and State

Although the Founders were religious, they did not intend to create a religious State. When the Church runs the State, innocent citizens die. But rich, right-wing, bigoted zealots want to "purify" the country. They want to remove all "sinners". They are quite devicive in how they define a "sinner", as they themselves act against the very words of the God that they pretend to preach.

There are many religious establishments outside of Christianity. To impose Christian law upon those members of other religions would be a blatant contradiction of the First Amendment. If these zealots wish to live in a religious State, they should move to one of the many around the world. Of course, those States are generally run by a different religion.

Separation of Powers

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, which is why the founders incorporated separation of powers into our system of government. I consider this to be under attack in the United States. The separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, is being legislated away. Again, I see this as fear-mongering by zealots hungry for absolute power.

Taxation

Flat taxes are the only way to have fair and uniform taxation across classes.

Representation

Campaigns should not be bought by the rich. Contribution limits should be imposed with full disclosure of names and amounts. Slander should be prosecuted.

Education

Everyone touts that the children are our future. But few really understand what that means. Nor does anyone really want to do anything to improve our future. Most simply see "my" future, not "our" future.

Environment

This should be a non-issue, but the rich keep making it an issue. Again, they simply see "my" future, not "our" future. If the environment stands in the way of making them richer, then rape, pillage, and plunder it.

Property

Recent legislation embodies many of the points above. If a developer wishes to "revitalize" a neighborhood, effectively all property owners in that neighborhood are screwed. The rich get richer and the poor get pushed out. I consider this recent legislation loop-holing a noose around the Bill of Rights.